Ironing board



Aug. 13, 1935. c. A. RICH ET AL IRONING BOARD Filed June 26, 1953 2Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm; C/msierfLRioh Jessa WIR icbaralsan Z 2 WWW Aug. 13,935- c. A. RICH EIAL IRONING BOARD Filed June 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 13, 1 935 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE IRONING BOARDChester A. Rich and. Jesse W. Richardson, Cincinnati, Rich Ohio; saidRichardson assignor to said Application June 26, 1933, Serial No.677,633

13 Claims. (01. es -1o) This application is concerned with animprovement upon the ironing board disclosed in co-pending application,Serial No. 630,561, filed August 26th, 1932, by Jesse W. Richardson, oneof the coinventors herein.

An object of the instant invention is to augment the force utilized forretaining the board in extended or operative position whereby to attaingreater rigidity and stability than has heretofore been attained indevices of similar character.

Another object is to obtain this indicated greater. stability andrigidity without impairing the co-operation and functioning of thoseparts of the device that attain automatic extension and collapse of thevarious. parts by means of a single hand shiftable part thereof.

These and o-ther objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the ac; companyingdrawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the improved ironing board.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the pair of leg spreaders forminga part'of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view of part 4!].

The board or table member W has a reduced forward or front end At therear end i2 thereof is provided, on the under surface thereof the devicein a of, a metal bracket i3 having turned or angularly disposed lugs i land if) at its ends. 'Ihebracket or mounting piece [3 is attached to theboard in any suitable manner, for example, by means of rivets. To eachof the lugs such as and |5 there is pivotally attached rear legs I6 andH. The inner face of each of the legs is tapered or beveled as indicatedat l8 so that when the legs are extended away from the board topositions that the legs normally assume in an operative position of thedevice, the lower extremities l9 and 2B ofthe legs may be spaced apartat a pair of shaft/members 2| and 22that may be joined at their lower orfree ends by a suitable rivet whereby the shafts 2| and 22" function asdoes the single leg 25 of the said co-pending application,SerialNo.-630,561. To all purposes and intents the members 2| and 22 co-operate function as a single third leg for the device.

Each of the members 2| and 22 is pivotally mounted at its upper end tothe under face 24 of the board Ii] by means of suitable brackets 25'and26. The upper ends of the members 2| and 22 are cut at such an angle asindicated at2l, that when the members 2| and 22 are moved to extendedposition, the face 21 may have substantial abutment or contact on theunder face 2 1 of the board. The contact of said angle ends 21 of themembers 2i and'22 upon the under face 24 of the board Ill substantiallylimits the extent to which the joined or lower ends 23 of themembers 2|and 22 may move toward the rear end legs I6 and I1. While there is someslight flexibility or resiliency in the members 2i and 22, itis to beunderstood'that substantially the indicated limitation of movement iscontrolled by the said contact of the ends 2;! upon the under face ofthe board H]. The lower or free ends 23 of the third leg structure 2 |22have pivotally attached to' them the forward end of a substantiallyV-shaped connecting rod comprising arms 28 and 29. The apex or base part39 of thesaid connecting rod is' retained in transverse notches 3|formed in the upper faces of the members 2| and 22 and a suitable washerextends over the notches 3| and thereby confines the said base 3|] ofthe connecting rod to the indicated notches 3|. A suitable bolt 32extends through andbetween the members 2| and 22 for holding theindicated washer in position. Any other suitable means may be employedfor pivotally retaining the base portion of the connecting rod in adeterminable position at the lower end 23 of the members Zi -22. At therear ends of the rods 28 and 29 suitable abutment means 33 are providedon each of the arms 23 and 25. The rear ends of the rods 28 and 29extendslidably through elongated openings 33 provided in the lower endsof cross braces .35 and 36. The abutment means 33 are adapted to engagethe lower extremities of cross braces 35 and 36 when the device is fullyextended or in operative position. The upper ends of the cross "braces35 and 35 are pivotally connected to therear legs 6 and l. The lowerportions of'the cross braces 35 and 36 are pivotallymonnected tostruts31 and 38. The rear ends of the struts 31 and 38 are pivotally mountedupon the; legs i6 and I1. The struts 31 and 38 form part of a togglestructure. The front ends of the struts 31 and 38 are connected by'atransverse or base portion 39 cross section and constitutes part of thetoggle structure. The free ends of the arms ii and 42 are'turnedoutwardly as indicated at :13 and 4 3, respectively, and the outturnedends 43 and M are received in pockets id and 46, respectively, providedbetween U-shaped brackets il! and 48, respectively, and the under faceof the board 50, and to which the brackets are secured. The pockets areelongated in the direction of the length of the board it, therebypermitting some longitudinal movement of the connection member -36relative to the board it). Each of the arms M and 42 of the member d6 isprovided with an oiiset or abutment 39. The abutments are produced byturning r bending the member 46 so that substantially a Z-shapedstructure is given to each of the arms 4i and W. The base portion 39 ofthe member ill is pivotally mounted. upon the struts 3'! and 38 and asuitable hand piece mounted upon the base portion 39 of the member 46intermediate the forward ends of the struts 37 and 38, retains theforward ends of the struts 3i and 38 in opposed relationship. The meansfor mounting the base portion 3d of the member iii upon the struts maybe similar to that employed for pivotally attaching the apex 38 of therods 28 and 29 upon the forward and lower end or" the third legstructure iii-22. A second U-shaped member iii has eyes 52 formed at theends of its arms 53 and d and the arms 4H and 52 are slidably receivedin the eyes 52 of the member iii. The base portion 55 of the member 5!is pivotally mounted upon the lower face of the board ill by suitablebrackets 56. The eyes 52 are adapted to engage the abutments 49 at andshortly before the time that the toggle device comprisingstruts 3? and38 and U-shaped member 4i) attain the positions that they assume in thefully extended or operative position of the device. The brackets 56 areso positioned relative the brackets ll and 33 and the members it and 5!are so proportioned that during the movement of the members it and 55through a few degrees of their respective arcs of movement immediatelypreceding movement of the parts to fully extended position, the memberit is projected rearwardly along the under surface 2 3 of the board,thereby placing the struts 3? and 33, legs l5 and 5?, connecting rods 28and 29, and the third leg structure 2i22, under tension for retainingall the parts in a very substantial and rigid relationship. The upper orforward ends of the struts 3'! and 38 are so shaped that in the extendedposition of the device those faces or ends 5'! of the struts rest uponand support the under face 24 of the board. The relationship of thetoggle structure, third leg structure, rear legs, and cross braces issuch that a snap action of the toggle is attain-ed over the dead centerof the three pivotal factors A, B and C whenever the hand piece ismanipulated for setting up or collapsing the device. At or about thetime the three factors A, B, C are aligned when setting up the board,the eyes 52 onthe member 5! come into contact with the abutments 69 ofthe member ill, and the continued movement of the hand piece 59 towardthe position that said handpiece assumes in Fig. 1, causes the U-shapedconnecting member 40 to be moved rearwardly of the board so that theoutturned ends 43 and M of the member it are moved rearwardly of thepoint C, wherefore in the set-up position, the forward outwardlyextending ends 43 and M of the connecting member 49 are disposedintermediate the ends of the pockets t5 and 46.

In collapsing the device, the opposite action of parts takes place.

Attention is directed to the fact that the cross braces 35 and 35 havean angularly disposed bracket member 58 that is pivotally mounted at 59upon a strut intermediate the pivotal connections A and B of the strutmembers upon the rear legs and connecting member ii], respectively.

The cross braces 35 and 36 are mounted in such positions upon the legsand struts that they cooperate with the toggle structure in separatingthe free ends it and it of the legs when the device is set up intooperative position and for bringing the said free ends of the legstogether so they will be disposed within the body lines of the boardwhen the device is collapsed.

The toggle structure is so related to the third leg structure 2i-22 andthe connecting rods iiil iiil, that the resilient characteristicsincident to the third leg structure Zl22, the mounting thereof upon theunder face of the board 513, and the connection therewith of the rods 28and 29, will attain sufficient tension of the various parts that a veryfirm support for the table it is provided. It is obvious that theconnections and mountings of the third leg structure upon and with theboard and with the struts and rear legs by means of the rods 28 and E9,limit the extent to which the legs i6 and ii may move rearwardly aboutthe pivotal mountings of said legs upon the lugs M. It is obvious thatthe toggle structure is essentially a tensioning device, rather thanameans for limiting the rearward movement of the legs I6 and il. Whilein a sense the toggle structure does limit the degree to which the legsit and ii may move rearwardly, the said toggle structure is so relatedto the other parts of the device that the toggle connection is notadapted to remain in a position wherein the points A, B and C arealigned, wherefore except at the moment when the said three points arealigned, the toggle structure does not limit or define the extent ofrearward movement of the legs i6 and H. By so relieving the togglestructure of any limiting action upon the position of the rear legs, itis possible to attain full benefit of the struts 31' and 38 asreenforcing or brace members for the forward or front end of the board.Any tendency of the rear legs to move backward or rearwardly is met andresisted by the co-action of the third leg structure, the top or boardit, and the connections 28 and 29, with the cross braces 35 and St.

The U-shaped connecting members til and it constitute a form of compoundlinkage that projects the struts 37 and 33 toward the rear legs inopposition to the collapsing strain tendency set up by the parts El, 22,27!, 28 and 29, incident to setting up of the device.

What "'s claimed is:

1. In a folding ironing table, a board, a pair of legs mounted on saidboard for swinging together and apart and toward and from the board, apair of braces pivotally mounted at one of their ends intermediate theends of said legs, a pair of links pivotally mounted intermediate theends of the braces and on the bottom of said board so that the legs maybe moved to substantially the vertical position, or to a position flatagainst the bottom of said board, means for projecting the links towardthe mountings of the legs on the board as the legs are moved to saidfirst mentioned position, and a pair of cross braces pivotally mountedat one of their ends upon said legs and at their other ends upon saidfirst braces at points intermediate the pivot points of the first braceswith the legs andwith said links. r 2. Ina folding ironing table, aboard, a pair legs mounted on said board for swinging together a ndapart and toward and from the board, a pair tical position, or to aposition fiat against the bottom of said board, means for projecting thelinks :toward the mountingsof the legs on the board as the legs aremoved to said first mentioned position, ,a'pair of crossbracespivotally.

, mounted at one of their ends upon said legs and y pivotally mountedendthereof engages the bottom of the board, or a position flat against theat their other ends upon said first braces at points intermediate thepivot points of the first braces with the legs and with saidlinks, athird leg pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the bottom of theboard and movable to a position wherein the free end of said leg extendsangularly away from the board and fromsaid first pairof legs and thebottom of the board, and connection means pivotally mounted on the freeend of the third leg and having sliding connection with the cross bracesadjacent themounting of the cross braces on the first mentioned braces,said connection means including abutment means for limiting the extentto which the third leg may be moved relative to the pair of legs andfirst mentioned braces, whereby to place the various table supportingmembers under tension when the device is in operative position; '3. Thecombination of a table top, a leg pivotally mounted-on the table and sorelated to the table that the leg may be moved to a substantiallyvertical position or to a position fiat against the bottom of the top,means for limiting movement of the leg beyond said substantiallyvertical position, a togglecomprising a strut and a link, the strut andlink having pivotal connection and each having a second pivotalmounting, said leg to vertical position.

4. In a folding table the combination of a top,

a leg pivotally mounted on the top for movement to a position whereinthe leg extends 1 substan- 1 tially vertically or a position fiatagainst the bottom of the top, a strut pivotally mounted upon the legintermediate the ends thereof, a link pivotally mounted upon the strutintermediate the ends thereof and having a shiftable pivotal mountingupon the top, the pivotal mountings of the strut upon the leg, the linkupon the table and the link upon the strut being so related that theyare brought into alisnmentincident to movement of the leg to verticalposition, the link and the strut being so related that the pivotalconnection therebetween will be positioned on opposite sides ofthepivotal mounting of the link upon'the boardin the folded and set-uppositions of the table, said pivotal connection of the link and thestrut passing beyond the dead center line between the pivotal mountingsof the link and the strut upon the table and leg respectively, incidentto folding and setting up-of the table, meansfor placing tension uponthe lgfjstriit and link assembly as the pivotal mounting of the strutand the link approaches the dead center position between the c'onnectionof the link and the strut with the table and leg respectively;"and meansfor moving the link toward the pivotal mounting of the leg on the tableas the pivotal mounting of the link and the strut move toward and beyondthe said dead center line incident to setting up of the table. r l i 5.A folding table comprising a top board, rear legs pivoted to said boardfor pivotal movements toward and from the board, a toggle acting bracecomprising a pair of struts pivotally connected to said legs and anapproximately U-shaped member pivotally connected to the board, thetransverse portion of which extends between and is pivotally connectedto the forward extended spaced ends of said struts providing a hand grippiece between said struts, said legs and U-shaped member being pivotallyconnected to the board at such points and the strut elements being ofsuch length that when the legs are turned down from the board the toggleacting brace will be buckled by said U-shaped member against the bottomof the board, and a second'U-shaped member pivotally mounted between thepivotal mountings of the first U-shaped member and the legs upon thetable and having sliding and abutting connection with the firstmentioned U-shaped member whereby to project the first mentioned U-shaped member toward the legs as the legs are turned down from theboard.

6. A folding table comprising a top board, rear legs pivoted to saidboard for pivotal movements toward and from the board, a pair ofelongated pockets provided upon the under surface of the board, a toggleacting brace comprising a pair of struts pivotally connectedto said legsand an approximately U-shaped memberhaving outwardly extendingprojections formed at the ends of the arms thereof and positioned insaid elongated pockets, the transverse or base portion of the U- shapedmember extending between and being pivotally connected to the forwardextended spaced ends of said struts, said legs, pockets and U-shapedmember being so connected to the board and at such points, and the strutelements being of such length that when the legs are turned down fromthe board, the toggle-acting brace will be buckled by said U-shapedmember against the bottom of the board, and means pivotally mounted onthe board between the pockets and the pivotal mountings of the legs uponthe board and having sliding and abutting connection with the U- shapedmember for projecting the U-shaped member toward the pivotal mountingsof the legs on the board and for moving the out turned ends upon theU-shaped member in the elongated pockets incident to turning down of thelegs.

"7. A folding table comprising a top board, rear legs pivoted to saidboard for pivotal movement toward and from the board 'a pair ofelongated pockets provided upon the under surface of the board, atoggle-acting brace comprising a pair of struts pivotally connected tosaid legs. and an approximately Ushaped member having outwardlyextending projections formed at the ends of the arms thereof andpositioned in said elongated pockets, the transverse or base portion ofthe U-shaped memberextending between and being pivotally connected totheforward extended spaced ends of said struts, said legs, pockets and Ushaped member being so connected to the board and atsuch points, andthestrut elements being of such length that when the legs are turneddown from the board, the toggle-acting brace will be buckled by saidU-shaped member against the bottom of the board, means pivotally mountedon I the board between the pockets and the pivotal mountings of the legsupon the board and having sliding and abutting connection with the U-shaped member for projecting the U-shaped member toward the pivotalmountings of the legs on the board and for moving the out turned endsupon the U -shaped member in the elongated pockets in cident to turningdown of the legs, and means for placing the toggle-acting brace undertension as the connection between the U-shaped member and the strutapproaches the dead center line between the mountings of the U-shapedmember and the struts upon the top board and legs, respectively.

8 A folding table comprising a top board, rear legs pivoted to saidboard for pivotal movement toward and from the board, a pair ofelongated pockets provided upon the under surface of the board, atoggle-acting brace comprising a pair of struts pivotally connected tosaid legs and an approximately U-shaped member having outwardlyextending projections formed at the ends of the arms thereof andpositioned in said elongated pockets, the transverse or base portion ofthe U-shaped member extending between and being pivotally connected tothe forward extended spaced ends of said struts, said legs, pockets andU-shaped member being so connected to the board and at such points, andthe strut elements being of such length that when the legs are turneddown from the board, the toggle-acting brace will be buckled by saidU-shaped member against the bottom of the board, means pivotally mountedon the board between the pockets and the pivotal mountings of the legsupon the board and having sliding and abutting connection with theU-shaped member for projecting the U-shaped member toward the pivotalmountings of the legs on the board and for moving the out turned endsupon the U-shaped member in the elongated pockets incident to turningdown of the legs, a third leg structure having pivotal mounting upon theboard intermediate the mountings of the rear legs and the pockets andmovable to a position flat against the bottom of the board or to aposition wherein the free end thereof projects away from the board andfrom the rear legs and wherein the pivotally connected end of said thirdleg structure abuts the under surface of the board, cross bracesextending between the rear legs, and the upper end of each thereofhaving a pivotal mounting on one of the legs and a second pivotalmounting upon one of the struts intermediate the ends thereof andadjacent the pivotal mountings of the struts upon the rear legs, thelower ends of each of the braces being angularly turned and each havingan elongated slot extending on opposite sides of the apex of the angleeffected by turning the lower ends of the braces and a substantiallyV-shaped connecting rod having its apex pivotally positioned upon thefree end of the third leg structure adjacent the free end thereof, oneeach of the arms of the V-shaped member extending through an elongatedslot in. one of the cross braces and having an abutment at the endthereof adapted brace as the pivotal connection between the U- shapedmember and the struts approaches the dead center line of thetoggle-acting brace.

9. In a folding ironing table the combination with a board member, legsassociated therewith for movement to extended position for supportingthe board member and to folded position relative to the table and meansfor so connecting the legs to the table and to one another that movementof the legs to table supporting positions places said means and the legsunder a condition of stress, said means including a toggle structurecomprising members pivotally connected together between certain of thelegs and the board member so that the members may be moved on oppositesides of a dead center line which includes said pivotal connections, andmeans for advancing the toggle members bodily toward the legs after saidtoggle members have passed over dead center line incident to setting upof the table.

10. The combination of a table, legs for supporting the table andpivotally connected to the table for movement to extended and foldedpositions, means connecting the legs whereby force applied to one leg istransmitted to another leg when the table is set up with said legs inextended positions, means limiting the movement of the legs beyondextended positions of the legs and cooperating with the connecting meansin attaining a condition of tension in the leg connecting means when thelegs are extended, means for moving at least one of the legs to extendedposition whereby to subject another of the cooperating legs to aninitial force and auxiliary means for augmenting the initial force byincreasing the pressure with which the legs are pressed in opposition tothe means for limiting the movement of the legs beyond extendedposition.

11. The combination with a folding table comprising a board or tablemember, a leg pivoted for movement relative to the board member toextended or folded positions, means under strain incident to extensionof the leg tending to move the leg toward its folded position, a strutpivoted on the leg and compound linkage being of such length andconnected to the strut and to the table at such places that in extendingthe leg, the strut and part of said linkage assume a straight linerelation between the connection of the strut to the leg and theconnection of said part of the linkage to the table and another part ofsaid linkage being adapted to project the strut toward the leg and inopposition to the tendency of the leg to move toward its foldedposition.

12. The combination with a table comprising a top, legs hingedlyconnected at an end of each to the top, a toggle comprising two portionshinged together at the approximate ends of each, said two portionsconnecting the legs and the table and adapted to have their hingedtogether parts moved back and forth over the dead center line passingthrough the connections of the toggle portions together and to the legsand the table, and means including supplemental support means, forplacing the legs under stress whereby to buckle the toggle membersagainst the top when the legs are turned down from the board, of meanspivoted relative to the top at a location rearwardly of the connectionbetween the top and that toggle portion which is connected to the top,for moving the toggle toward the legs as the hinged together partsthereof pass beyond said dead center line incident to turning down thelegs from the table and for maintaining approximately the same stressupon the legs that the legs are subjected to at the time the toggleportions are in dead center alignment.

13. The combination with a table comprising a top, a leg hingedlyconnected at its one end to the top, a toggle comprising two portionshinged together at the approximate, ends of each, said two portionsconnecting the leg and the table and means including supplementalsupport means, for placing the leg under stress whereby to buckle thetoggle members against the top when the leg is turned down from theboard, of means for moving the toggle toward the leg as the hingedtogether parts of the toggle pass beyond said dead center line incidentto turning down the leg from the table and for maintaining approximatelythe same stress upon the leg that the leg is subjected to at the timethe tog- 1ogle portions are in dead center alignment.

CHESTER A. RICH. JESSE W. RICHARDSON.

